Safety catch



Nov. 10, 1936. MOREHQUSE 2,060,333

SAFETY CATCH Filed May 17, 1935 INVENTOR. M/ZQ [Va/6401a? A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY CATCH RhodeIsland Application May 17,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a safety catch for retaining the end of apinstem by engagement therewith adjacent the pointed end of the shank;and has for one of its objects the provision of a construction which maybe provided with an enlarged attaching base so that the same may bepositioned by soft solder.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a safety catch whichmay be assembled prior to its leaving the factory and by reason of itsconstruction with an enlarged base may be soft soldered into position soas not to draw the temper from the operating parts as would occur were asmall base used and the device hard soldered in position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a construction whichwill prevent the solder used in attaching it in position from running upinto the catch to obstruct the working of the keeper after the catch hasbeen soldered into position.

Another object of the invention is the arrangement of the base of thesafety catch such that it will prevent the shank from being accidentallybent with reference to the base.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device with the keeper in closedposition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the keeper in open position.

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at the front of the device with thekeeper removed.

Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at the rear of the device with the keeperremoved.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the blank used in forming the catch.

Fig. 7 is a plan view after the blank has been partially bent.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a modified catch after being bent intofinished position.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a different modified construction showinga smaller base.

Fig. 11 is a bottom view showing a seamless base which provides anenlarged surface for attachment to a bar pin or the like.

In the use of safety catches, it is usual that the shank and its flangesbe soldered directly to the back of an ornament such as a bar pin or thelike with hard solder, it being necessary to use hard 1935, Serial No.21,994

solder in order to provide the required strength to attach a smallsurface to the ornament; and when hard solder is used it is necessary toassemble the keeper and the catch after this soldering has taken placeso as not to withdraw the temper from the keeper by annealing. Someornaments such as those from cast alloys, will melt at a temperaturenecessary for a hard soldering operation and this method of attachmentcannot be used. 10

It is frequently desirable that the catch and its keeper be assembledcomplete and attached in this assembled condition to the ornament or toan ornament having a low melting alloy; and in order to accomplish theseresults I have provided 15 a keeper with an extended portion in itsblanked out form and bent the extended portion so as to provide a baseacross the bottom of the catch, which may afford a large attachingsurface enabling soft soldering and so that the catch or device as awhole can be assembled complete at the time it leaves the factory; and Iso arrange this base that it locks with the catch to prevent bendingshould the catch engage or be bumped by some object when in use.Further, it is known that solder sometimes runs into the joint and byreason of my construction of large base, the running of the solderupwardly into the joint is prevented; and the following is a moredetailed description of this improved construction by which theseadvantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, I have illustrated in Figure 6 the shapeof the blank of the catch as cut out from sheet stock. This blank isthen bent so as to provide a back shank I I with a forwardly extendinghook I2 beneath which the pinstem will engage and be held. There alsoextends forwardly from the shank I I side flanges I3 which approximate atriangular shape and appear as laterally extending wings I4 in the 40blank. A notch I 5 is cut out from the triangular flanges or wings andthe lower portion of the blank I6 which forms the base is bentrearwardly slightly at its neck portion I I and then bent as at I8 toextend forwardly in contact with the lower 5 edges I9 of the flanges,this base being of a width greater than the distance between theflanges, and also of a longitudinal length greater than the .length ofthe flanges. A tongue 20 integral with the base is bent upwardlyproviding a lip 2I 5 extending across the end of the flanges while itstip 22 is bent into the notch I5 so as to prevent the shank I I frombeing bent back about the portion I8 to distort the shank or lift theflanges away from the base I6 thus locking the assembly 55 in desiredposition and strengthening the entire structure.

Recesses 25 provide bearings on one or both flanges for the reception ofa trunnion or trunnions 26 on one or both sides of the keeper 2'1 whichis thus pivotally mounted in the catch. This keeper is of a shape havinga handle portion 28 which extends rearwardly thru a slot in the shank tobe manipulated for causing its nose portion 30 to close the entrance tothe hook [2 or open the entrance thereto.

By reason of the shaping of the construction, the base may be of anyextent laterally by merely enlarging the portion 3| thereof or by reasonof the reverse bend at the fold I8 may be extended rearwardly anydesired extent, see for instance Figure 9 where the fold 32 is extendedto a greater extent rearwardly than shown in Figure 5, or there may beno reverse extension as shown in Figure 10, as at 33, where the base isfolded at substantially a right angle rather than being extendedrearwardly as shown in the previous figures.

By the provision of a large base, I accomplish many advantages. First,there is an increased surface provided necessary for the holding powerfor the catch to be soft soldered in position or for mounting on a lowmelting alloy or other ornaments and incidentally there is a basesufficiently large so that the device will stand up by itself and notneed to be held by a pair of tweezers. Further, this base by completelycovering all of the joints prevents the solder from running up into thecatch to clog or prevent the keeper from the freedom of movement whichit is desired the same will have. Further, I am enabled to assemble themovable keeper with the catch by soldering in position, which is ofadvantage in that the assembly need not take place after soldering. Ialso provide a stronger mounting of the shank by reason of the lockingof the finding to the base and the secure holding of the base inposition.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holding device for a pinstem, comprising a catch having a shankwith an overhanging hook extending forwardly therefrom, side flanges onsaid shank extending forwardly therefrom, a base having a foldconnecting it to said shank, and means at the forward edge of the baseextending across and over a portion of said flanges to lock them againstthe base.

2. A holding device for a pinstem, comprising a catch and a keepermovably mounted therein, said catch comprising a shank with anoverhanging hook extending forwardly therefrom, side flanges on saidshank extending forwardly therefrom, a base having a fold connecting itto said shank, a lip at the forward edge of the base extending acrossand over a portion of said flanges to lock them against the base.

3. A holding device for a pinstem, comprising a catch having a shankwith an overhanging hook extending forwardly therefrom, side flanges onsaid shank extending forwardly therefrom, a base having a foldconnecting it to said shank, said side flanges having notches in theirforward edges, and a lip at the forward edge of said base turned intosaid notches to prevent opening at said fold.

4. A holding device for a pinstem, comprising a catch formed of onepiece of stock and having a shank with a forwardly extending overhanginghook, flanges folded forwardly from the side of said shank, a basefolded from the lower end of said shank forwardly beneath and contiguouswith the lower edges of said flanges, and means at the forward edge ofthe base turned inwardly over a portion of said flanges to lock themagainst the base.

5. A holding device for a pinstem, comprising a catch formed of onepiece of stock and having a shank with a forwardly extending overhanginghook, flanges folded forwardly from the-side of said shank, a basefolded from the lower end of said shank forwardly beneath and contiguouswith the lower edges of said flanges, and a lip extending upwardlyacross the end of said flanges and turned inwardly over a portionthereof to lock the flanges and base in contiguous relation against areverse bending at said fold.

EUGENE MOREHOUSE.

